Container



March 16, 1943. E; o. THEN l 2,313,784

. CONTAINER Filed 001'.. 5, 1939 n v1/'1,11'. "11,1111, n

Patented 'Mai'. 16, 1943 coN'rArm-:a

Edward 0. Then, Newark. N. J., assigner to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 5, 1939, Serial No. 298,133 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-62)4 The present invention relates to dredging cans for powders, condiments and the like and has particular reference to a fully sealed can which is opened by breaking out scored parts cut in a depressed or sunken panel section of the can end or top, this sunken panel being fan or substantially wedge shaped with an enlarged curved or arcuate edge wall folded or collapsed to form a shoulder under which a fiat perforated slide closure is retained against the panel wall at all times while this slide closure moves on a pivotal connection between slide and panel wall by means of which the can may be fully opened for dispensing of its contents as in removal by a spoon, or the dispensing may be done by sifting the contents through the perforations or dredge openings in the slide, or the can may be reclosed against any discharge of the contents. l

An object of the present invention is the provision of a dredging can which is initially sealed to enclose its contents and which may -be opened to make effective a perforated top slide which has swinging or pivotal movement over the wall of a sunken panel part in the can end or top and over a dispensing opening provided in the panel wall when the can is first opened, the top unit consisting of only two parts including the swinging slide, diil'erent positions of the slide determining different procedure in dispensing the can contents and in addition, the slide in one of its positions functions as a reclosure for the can.

Another object is the provision of a two piece dispensing can end unit for a dredging can of the character described which is simple in construction and easy of operation, the sunken panel of the can top being shaped to define and limit the maximum swinging movement of the pivotal slide element which is pivotally anchored at the small or inner comer of the fan shaped sunken panel of the top and the opposite end of the slide moves under a shoulder or ledge formed along the wide curved part of the sunken panel, locking elements being formed in both top and slide to positively hold the slide in a selected position.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under stood from the following description, which,

taken in connection with the accompanying` Fig. 1, each view showing a different position of the top slide;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scaleand taken along the section line 5-5 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken along the broken line 6-8 in Fig. 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

The present invention is concerned with a dredge can having a simple one piece perforated slide closure which is mounted for rotatable movement within a fan-shape depression formed in the can top, the closure becoming effective to condition the can for dispensing of or for enclosing its contents, after the can has been initially opened by breaking out a scored part of the top end. The slide closure then functions according to itsselected position.

A preferred form of can is shown in the drawing as being rectangular in shape and comprises a canbody I I and can top I3. The invention is concerned particularly with the construction of the can top and parts contained thereon and such is shown in the drawing. A `similar bottom end is provided for the can in the usual manner, but it is unnecessary to further consider this part of the can.

The top end I3 may be secured to the upper end of the can body II in a usual double seam joint I 4. This top end is primarily of the usual dished form required for double seeming and is therefore depressed below the rim of the surrounding seam. A wall I5 results and this wall is further depressed in a fan-shape panel section or wall member I6 one side of which is preferably located just inside of the seam. along one side of the top end. The panel section or member at its small end is rounded as at I1 and this may be located adjacent the corner of the can top.

Opposite to the rounded seat I'I the end boundary of the wide part of the fan-shape panel is formed as a circular wall I8. Wall I8 is of collapsed or bent Ssh`ap e in cross section, as best illustrated to the right of Fig.V 6 and as designated by the numeral `I9. This form of wall" provides a circular channel 2I and an overhanging ledge 22.

' The slide closure for the can comprises a ilat slide member 25.- VThis member is adapted to pivot at the center of -the corner seat I1 of the panel section and to move-along the channel 2| formed in the circular wall I8. For this purpose the slide closure isypivotally connected to the can top ina unique self-contained joint. 'I'he web wall of the panel section I6 adjacent the rounded corner I1 is perforated in a circular hole 26 (Fig. 6). The slide closure 26 is first formed with a pressed-in drawn rivet section 21.

After the parts are assembled and after the drawn section has been inserted through the opening 26 this drawn section is upset or collapsed by a squeezing action which enlarges the inserted end of the section by forming a rivet head 28. This enlarged head portion as shown in Fig. 6 is below the under surface of the web wall of the panel section and holds the slide closure 25 down and in close engagement 'with the upper surface of the panel wall. The tubular shank of the rivet section'21 is freely rotatable within the circular hole 26 and may be swung back and forth in a restricted movement about the pivotal connection.

The wide end of the closure member 25. opposite to its pivotal connection, is curved on an arc which is struck from the center of the pivot and conforms to the curvature of the end wall I8 of the panel section. In the manufacture of this can end and closure unit the closure member 25 is assembled on the can end before the panel wall I8 has been bent into the S-shaped section. With the pivotal engagement made, the slide's curved outer edge is adjacent to the curved wall I8 of the panel section when the collapsing of this wall takes place. When the collapsing takes place, the channel 2| is formed aroundl the slide closure and thereafter this channel conlines the outer circular end ofthe closure. The overhanging ledge 22 which is formed at the same time and which extends above this closure,

holds the end down Von the web wall of the panel section. f

It will be understood that thisy holding down closure member merely slides along the channel 1 'erably comprises a continuous curved score line 3| which constitutes an arc 'of a circle and the ends of this line are joined by a broken straight score line 32. These score lines as preferably patterned in the shape disclosed, thus include a continuous arc and a broken chord line and set off a removable segment part or area 33 of the can top. This removable area or portion is ycontained fully within the plane of the panel section I6 prior to opening of the can and provides an imperforate can top for enclosing the can contents.

When the can is opened to render the closure slide 25 effective, the segment area or removable portion 33 is pushed down into the can, as shown in Fig. 5, the arcuate score line 3I breaking through and the metal of the top bending along the chord score line 32. part 33 from the plane of the can top creates a dispensing opening 34. The particular shape of the score lines and the removal part dietermined by them provides an opening best suited'v for the insertion of a spoon, the at side or chord line of the opening allowing for scraping off contents held in the spoon so that a level spooni'ul can be obtained.

This removal of the ing curled finger piece 86 by means of which it may be conveniently engaged and swung on its pivotal connection. into three different positions. The first position, which is the position illustrated in Figs. l and 3, as already described. fully exposes the dispensing opening 34 for dispensing of the contents by way of a spoon. In this Dosition one side edge of the closure is adjacent one side wall of the fan-shape' panel section or member I6'. The closure is positively held in this position by a stop element 36, formed im the side wall as a protuberance and extending up from the plane of the member and another stop element formed as a similar protuberance 31 which is pressed up from the wall of the panel section, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this positionI the top stop elements 36, 81 cooperate to positively hold the slide.

When the can is to be reclosed, the closure member 25 is moved to the opposite side of the fan-shape panel section I6 or into the position illustrated in Fig. 2. In such position the slide closure entirely covers the removable area or portion dening the dispensing opening 34. At this time the stop element 36 engages over a protuberance 38 (Figs. 3`and '6) pressed up from the panel wall. By reason of the close contact between slide and can top, eiected by the conilning action of the circular ledge 22 on one end of the slide and by the confining action of the pivotal connection 28 on the other end, this closed position provides for a complete reclosing of the opened can.

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the can by a sifting or dredging action. an intermediate position of the slide closure 25 is utilized.

Perforations 4I are formed along one side of the slide near thevcircular end, this being on the side opposite to the curi finger piece 35. These perforatons are cut entirelythrough the closure member and do not function in the open slide position (Fig. 3) or in the closed position (Fig. 2).

In the intermediateposition (Figs. 4 and 5) the perforations 4I are above and just inside of the straight edge of the dispensing opening 34.

The lcontents may now be discharged from the The slide closure 25 is formed with an upstand- 75 container by the usual shaking or tipping of the can and a sifting action results( In this intermediate position the slide is definitely located by the stop element r36 engaging over and aligning with a protuberance 42 pressed up from the Wall of the panel section I6. As in theother slide positions, an exact location is had and the correct alignment of the perforations andthe dispensing opening results.

It is thought that the invention and many ofv its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a. preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A dredge top can comprising a can top end member having an upstanding seam surrounding a countersunk sectionand also having a substan-4 tiallytriangular depressed panel in the countersunk section provided with a dispensing area, and a slide member disposed in said depressed panel having pivotal connection at one end with a wall of said panel adjacent a corner of the container end member for swinging movement over and relative to said dispensing area, the free end oi said slide member opposite its pivotal connection being conned against vertical displacement within a channel recess formed in an upstanding boundary wall of said depressed panel.

2. A dredge top can comprising a can top end member having an upstanding seam surrounding a countersunk section and also having a substantially triangular depressed panel in the countersunk section provided with a dispensing area, a slide member disposed in said depressed panel having pivotal connection at one end with a wall of said panel adjacent a corner of the container end member for swinging movement over` and relative to said dispensing area into a plurality of closing and dispensing positions, the free end of said slide memberopposite its pivotal connection being confined against vertical displacement within a channel recess formed in an upstanding boundary wall of said depressed panel, and means on one of said members having selective yielding engagement with spaced means on the other of said members for removably retaining said pivotally mounted slide member in each of said closing and dispensing positions relative to said dispensing area.

EDWARD O. THEN. 

